"Tch. Even reels are getting boring. Why does everything feel so boring nowadays?"
A 15-year-old boy let out a yawn. It was 2 AM, and he turned off his phone, hoping to get some restful sleep.
"I wish I could see a good dream today at least."
His name was Henry. A somewhat lazy individual who waits until the last minute to complete his tasks. He has been living alone since his parents are overseas. They send him money each month that covers all his expenses, which are deposited into his bank account. It has been over six years since he last saw his parents before they departed.
Four hours later.
*Beep* *Beep*
His phone's alarm rang.
6:00 AM—time for hell to begin. Another day of school, another day of hell. His only reason to attend was because of his best friend Richard, the guy who was practically a legend in their school, topping every exam like it was nothing. Though Henry was not comparable to Richard, he was pretty average in his studies.
He dragged slowly out of his bed. Brushed his teeth, took a shower, and had a peaceful time in his toilet.
After a few minutes, he was dressed in his uniform, wrinkled but passable. Packed his bag and got out of the house and locked it. It was a pretty small house, barely more than a box; after all, he was the only one living there.
He grabbed his bicycle, a red geared model with chains that had rusted and could break at any moment.
He cycled to his school as usual, feeling the breeze, scaring the street cats, overtaking vehicles in traffic for no reason, and purposefully going slower in speed to reach the school late.
The school was strict enough.
While other students got caught due to the slightest infraction, he rolled up in the gates with his antique-looking cycle. Maybe it was because he never caused trouble. Or maybe they just didn't see the point in scolding someone who didn't care. Either way, they let it slide.
He reached the school. It was quite a decent one named Barinton High with a big structure and better facilities than an average school in that country. A canteen that offers a variety of multi-cuisine foods is one of its highlights.
******
Meanwhile, in the class,
Richard waited, keeping the seat next to him vacant for Henry to sit.
Richard had glossy blue hair, sparkling blue eyes, and attractive features that made him quite popular with girls, in contrast to Henry.
Henry blended into the crowd so well that even teachers sometimes forgot he existed.
"Where the hell is he? He is later than usual. Did his cycle break down? No, that can't be it; he would have texted me. Did the street cats take their revenge? Or did the traffic police catch him? Ugh, how can there be so many ways of getting into trouble for a single person?" Richard pondered while his hands rubbed his forehead.
In the next minute, a man entered the classroom. He was in his mid-40s and wore a crisp brown coat and pants, along with a white shirt and a red tie. It was their Calculus professor, Mr. Oswald.
He is a top one among the professors, the top one in making the class boring as hell.
Neither he nor the students understand what he is saying and trying to explain. Students shook their heads like dolls the entire time.
Richard gasped.
"F*ck not him again. Did the timetable change again? Ah...well, it's better if Henry comes late. At least he could escape from this torture."
Mr. Oswald, you know, is the kind of teacher who's always trying to squeeze in extra classes, often popping up as a substitute or finding other opportunities.
Mr. Oswald coughed as he wanted to demand attention in the classroom.
He told his voice soft and with a smile.
"Good morning, class. We've got a new face joining us today. So be nice."
Everyone in the class started murmuring. Even Richard found this a surprise. But he wondered why someone joined in the middle of the second semester.
Mr. Oswald turned his head toward the door, his eyes fixed there. "Miss Alysa, come on in and tell us about yourself."
A young girl stepped into the classroom, her dark purple hair so luscious in waves and long flowing like silk in the wind. But it was her eyes that truly caught everyone's attention — not just the boys, but even the girls stared in awe. It was beautiful complimenting her cute and gorgeous face. Most boys in the class had a crush on her the moment they saw her.
Richard's eyes widened. He was not expecting such a beauty to transfer to this school.
"Damn, I didn't expect someone like her. Interesting."
Alysa gave a small introduction. Her voice was sweet, too. She had told me about her reason for transferring and also about her family.
She was an only child and studied in the southern part of the country, meanwhile, Barington was in the eastern part. Her dad's name is famous as he is a businessman with power and fame, known to own many Industrial factories and buildings.
Clearly, she came from a powerful background.
The reason for her transfer was that her father's new project was situated in this city. So she and her family had to move to this place.
After her introduction, Mr. Oswald asked her to be seated.
He pointed to the seat beside Richard, the usual seat of Henry.
Richard's mind was shuffling; he felt happy and guilty at the same time.
He found this as a chance to get to know her, but he had to betray his best friend. Well, he had no choice anyway, Mr. Oswald had already told her to sit on Henry's seat. He can't deny that.
Alysa went forward and sat beside Richard.
Richard had a gut feeling that Alysa was not talkative with strangers. He deduced this from his experience in mingling with girls. So he had to make the first move.
That's when suddenly, Richard heard familiar footsteps that someone was running in the corridor.
A figure appeared at the class's entrance. It was, of course, Henry.
He was panting after running up the stairs to reach the third floor, where the classroom was.
*Huff* *Huff*
He stammered,
"S-Sir, may I come i-in?"
Mr. Oswald, with an irritating expression, replied,
"Henry, you are always late. And I don't want to hear the pitiful reasons as your cycle chain got stuck, there was traffic or anything. I won't allow you to enter the class if you repeat this."
Henry had a smug smirk playing on his lips.
"Well, that's what I want. You are saying this every day. When will you do it, you baldy?"
Meanwhile, in Richard's mind,
"He came? Ah, I'm completely screwed. That jerk will kill me for giving up his seat to a girl."
Henry stepped into the classroom.
His eyes fell on the girl who sat in his seat.
Dark purple hair. Those eyes. That face.
He froze. His mind went blank like white.
He whispered,
"Who… the hell is that?"
To Be Continued.